According to the creators of Forks Over Knives, a whole foods plant based diet has all the necessary nutrients for optimal health. However, on Chronometer, I fail to meet the targets for choline, Omega 6, and sodium, even though I eat all the recommended foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc.). Is this a sign of a deficiency, or is falling short on some nutrients not that big of a deal?
Is meeting the RDA targets necessary?
- Thread starter Dev Chirayush Dhruv
- Start date
Lou
Forum Legend
Good Question!
So there are a few reasons that could be.
The thing that has come up on my CronOmeter is that CronOmeter relies on the food's Nutrients Fact label.
If the food label doesn't include info on that nutrient - it doesn't show up in CronOmeter. It does not mean that the food doesn't have that nutrient. Its just that CronOmeter doesn't know. This came up just recently in my Cronometer. I had bought Some Trader Joe's Roasted Flax Seed. I ground it myself and added it to my oatmeal. But Cronometer wasn't showing any Omega 3. It turns out that TJ's flax seed doesn't list omega 3's in their Nutrients Facts. I just played around till I found a flax seed that does list it. I didn't buy that brand of flax seed - I just used it in Cronometer.
this next part might be Too Much Info. But Cronometer is linked to a bunch of databases. The USDA one is really good. One of their databases is CRDB. that database is limited to the info on the nutritional label of the package. so things like Omega 3 won't be showing up there. Sometimes the product doesn't list all the details on the side of the package - but if CronOmeter is using one of their other databases you might get that info anyway.
Choline is turned off in Cronometer by default. You must have turned it on. The reason it is turned off is that most databases don't even track choline. So I guess CronOmeter is trying to do us a favor by NOT showing us that we are deficient. We might be. But even if we were NOT, CronOmeter wouldn't know. what is sort of disappointing is that Choline isn't even included in most multivitamins. The good news is that you can see from the list below that it isn't totally lacking in a typical vegan diet.
The reason for not meeting Omega 6 could just be a database issue. I'm not entirely clear on this next part but the vegan diet is naturally low on Omega 6. but that its more important to have a good ratio of O6 to O3. Close to 1:1 is great
Kuodo's for you for having such low sodium levels. I almost always have between 100 and 200%. You might add a glass of gatorade to your meal plan. I buy the big buckets of powder - its the least expensive. or you could just add some salt to your food. (perhaps you already do but don't bother adding it in Cronometer. )
Many of the nutrients from animal products are preformulated, which in a loose nutshell means they're processed by the animal so our bodies don't need to do anything. Thing is, being omnivores, we can formulate (process) them ourselves, without the addition of things like cholesterol, or toxic amounts of what gets concentrated. These are my my own words and I have no degree, so take this as a loose description!
The RDA is written with animal products in mind, and while it considers the amino acids of plant foods I don't believe it's the best source for plant based eaters
When you compare the diet of omnivore to those that are completely plant based it's critical to look at them as closely equal as possible
So many people get defensive of needing animal products, yet don't really look at the reality of the animal products they're choosing. Most people who start a plant based diet will go to these sites after they change and find all these flaws, but how many go there to judge the diet they had been on? The one that is the leading cause of preventative diseases.
Cronometer and others, give you the option to tweak the amounts.
I strongly suggest reading any and everything by Dr Michael Greger--
How Not to Die and How Hot to Diet and the
Dr. Michael Greger's Daily Dozen | NutritionFacts.org This is created as the most perfect formula for eating. Not specific to any particular foods, but based on food group nutrition. It's also meant to have food added as it is only 1200 to 1400 calories as written
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Julieanna Hever: 9781615641017: Amazon.com: Books Written by Registared Dietician Julieanna Hever
And any books by John Robbins
Look and request from your library. Mine has kept the books I've requested so it's easier now!
The RDA is written with animal products in mind, and while it considers the amino acids of plant foods I don't believe it's the best source for plant based eaters
When you compare the diet of omnivore to those that are completely plant based it's critical to look at them as closely equal as possible
So many people get defensive of needing animal products, yet don't really look at the reality of the animal products they're choosing. Most people who start a plant based diet will go to these sites after they change and find all these flaws, but how many go there to judge the diet they had been on? The one that is the leading cause of preventative diseases.
Cronometer and others, give you the option to tweak the amounts.
I strongly suggest reading any and everything by Dr Michael Greger--
How Not to Die and How Hot to Diet and the
Dr. Michael Greger's Daily Dozen | NutritionFacts.org This is created as the most perfect formula for eating. Not specific to any particular foods, but based on food group nutrition. It's also meant to have food added as it is only 1200 to 1400 calories as written
Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition: Campbell, T. Colin, Jacobson, Howard: 9781939529848: Amazon.com: Books
Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition [Campbell, T. Colin, Jacobson, Howard] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition
www.amazon.com
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Julieanna Hever: 9781615641017: Amazon.com: Books Written by Registared Dietician Julieanna Hever
And any books by John Robbins
Look and request from your library. Mine has kept the books I've requested so it's easier now!
